Captured
by iLoveMeSomeCaptainAmerica
Summary: Clary, daughter of Luke Garroway, leader of the Resistance is captured by the Vampires. She is sold to the mysterious prince and forced to abide by his rules. Struggling to feel hatred towards the monster that is responsible for her mother's death, she must keep her identity a secret in order to protect her people and their cause. "You belong to me." AU.
1. Captured

**Based heavily off of the Captured series and my own, twisted imagination.**

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**_Disclaimer: I do not own any of Cassandra Clare's characters. Ideas from the Captive series, though slightly different, have been used and modified. _**

**_AND I found the cover photo for this fanfiction on Google._**

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**Part 1**

_Run._

Screams of warning and terror echoed around me. The ground beneath my bare feet was merciless, sharp twigs and rocks embedding themselves deeper into my sore flesh with every stride I took.

Fire was everywhere, debris and ash invading each breath I was forced to inhale. Tears blurred my vision as I willed myself to keep going, to leave my home behind. My once beautiful forest was now an oven, its inhabitants and beautiful trees being cooked to a sickening crisp.

They had caught us completely off guard this time.

The Vampires.

My father and his men had made sure that the area was secure countless times. Hidden by the dense forests bordering the Vampire's kingdom, our village was equipped with some of the best remaining fighters, healers, and leaders there were.

On either side of me was at least a dozen other members from the Resistance. It felt wrong to abandon so many unfortunate souls behind, especially since I had grown up surrounded by these people and knew most of them well enough to consider them family, and I felt like a coward. My conscience was screaming at me to go back and help, but, even if it was disgusting and selfish, I knew better.

I could not get caught.

_Faster. Faster._

I convinced myself that the faster I went, the less I would be able to think.

The screams in the distance became more muffled as our party ventured further and further. We had no idea where we planned to go, we just kept running blindly in the opposite direction of the enemy's village, into unfamiliar territory.

The man next to me, Hodge, was noticeably beginning to slow down. He was an older man, in his late fifties, but seeing as he was constantly training and out hunting, his endurance was spectacular. "Keep going," I encouraged him. I had to leave my father and brother behind and I was _not_ going to let anyone else go if I could prevent it from happening, especially not the kind, old man that used to tell me stories when I was little.

He sent me a strained smile that didn't reach his eyes and a muscle in his jaw jumped as he fought to keep up with me.

A sudden wail tore through the air and I stopped abruptly, my legs burning and numb. Hodge, in a frenzy, followed my actions and caught hold of my arm, panting heavily. "Clary, there's no time! They're right behind us!" The other people that I had been leading kept going, completely ignorant of us, driven with fear. I could make out a little heap a few yards away, accompanied by sobs. My heart clenched.

"Hodge, you need to go. I'll be right behind you," I said, already feinting towards my desired destination.

"No!" he shouted. "I promised your father that I would do everything in my power to keep you safe. I am not leaving you."

"Just go!" I said, aware of the time that I'd already lost. "GO!"

"No––"

"I'll be right behind you!" I screamed, the poor child's cries never ceasing.

"Cla––"

"GO!"

Hodge shook his head, knowing that arguing with me, having watched me grow up, was futile. His calloused fingers trailed across my cheek and stopped at my hair momentarily, giving my thick tendrils a firm squeeze. "I'm not leaving you."

"Hodge!" I shouted. "Please. It's not safe."

Without warning, he took off towards the helpless figure in the distance, leaving me with no other choice but to follow him. "Hodge!" I cried. "Go the other way!"

He kept going.

I picked up my pace, my frustration proving to be overwhelming, my legs, seemingly as heavy as cement moving faster than I ever thought possible. The victim was a young boy, scrawny and helpless, clutching his arm to his chest. I slid on my knees to reach his side, Hodge already attending to him, and placed my hands on his shoulders. He was Max, the only other girl in our village that was my age, Isabelle Lightwood's little brother. "Max! We need to go!"

"My arm," he cried, his bottom lip quivering. "It hurts!"

"I know buddy," I pressed. "But we need to go! We can make it all better soon, okay?"

Hodge shook his head in frustration. "I'll carry him."

"Are you sure––"

"_Yes_. We need to get out of here," Hodge barked.

Then, out of nowhere, a set of feet landed on the ground beside us, as light as a feather. The tree's branches that he had launched himself out of were vigorously shaking, its leaves crunching in its wake. "Aw, leaving so soon?" he cooed, his voice as smooth as velvet.

My blood turned to ice and my eyes widened. _Vampire_. Max cowered against Hodge and let out a whimper. The demon with a human's face grinned maliciously and stalked towards us. "How unfortunate," he tisked. "I'll never understand humans. Why risk your lives for a…" his eyes loomed over Max as he seemed to be groping for the right words, "little, _pathetic_ thing that's completely useless to you?"

"_Hodge_," I said through clenched teeth, my hand inching towards my belt as my eyes stayed glued on the monster, "get out of here now."

Despite feeling as if I had turned to stone, as the Vampire took his next, taunting step, I swiftly jumped to my feet, whipping out my dagger and holding it out in front of me with a steady hand. "Hodge, get out of here NOW!"

"Cl––"

"Now!"

In my peripheral vision I watched as Hodge gathered Max in his arms and hesitantly began to sprint in the other direction, towards safety. The Vampire stared me down with an amused glint in his eye. "You know I could've easily taken all three of you, I still can, but you sure are a pretty little thing," he said, my pathetic, little weapon the only thing separating me from him. "Surely someone will pay me enough money for you that it won't matter that the others got away."

"Stay back!" I mustered, raising my dagger a little higher.

He let out a melodious guffaw and threw his head back. "That's rich! You really think you can defend yourself from a _Vampire_ with_ that_?" His laughter cut off abruptly and he cocked his head to the side, his thin lips pulled into a smirk. "No, you look like a smart girl. You _know_ that you're as good as dead. You're just trying to be brave, aren't you?"

I took a sloppy step backwards, almost losing my footing, a cold sweat crawling up my spine. "Your hair is _so_ red," the Vampire observed. "Almost as red as blood. Mmm, I can _smell_ your blood. You would be so delicious, sweet and intoxicating." He took another bold step forward as he inhaled heavily, his haunting gray eyes never leaving mine. "I finally struck gold."

He grinned. "You're going to make this harder than this has to be, aren't you?"

To confirm his sentiment, I fortified my grip on the hilt of my dagger and got into my fighting stance, the one that I had been trained for years and years to perfect. The Vampire didn't show any signs of anger, he just kept his sickening grin plastered to his face and chuckled. "I thought so. You're _feisty_, I like that."

"Go to Hell you demon!" I hissed, lunging forward. Caught off guard, he was just barely able to avoid my offense.

Shock appeared over his disgustingly beautiful features, clearly not expecting me to be able to put up a fight. Every time he darted towards me I managed to jump out of his reach, boosting my confidence despite being aware that I stood no chance. I was fast, but I was nowhere near _Vampire_-fast. All too soon the Vampire grew tired of our little game and swung his fist at me, barely giving me enough leverage to duck under his arm.

With a shaking hand I stabbed my dagger into the Vampire's chest, shocked that I had managed to do so. I had been trained to fight Vampires, but I had never fought one until now. Black blood oozed from his wound and he let out a ferocious snarl, his eyes narrowing into slits. To my horror, the Vampire didn't crumple to the ground like I had hoped, but, all while hissing and glaring at me harshly, his hands reached for the weapon protruding from his flesh and ripped it free.

His scream pierced my ears and I stumbled away from him, completely defenseless. His face was red and he was panting heavily. "_That_ was a mistake," he snarled. He threw my only hope to the ground, its tip lodging itself into the soil, and showed me his fangs, startling me into taking another step back.

But he was there.

My back rammed into his chest, and, in a state of panic, I tried to dart away, but his arms, corded with muscles, wrapped around my torso. He pulled me into him, despite my vicious attempts to get away. "You're a good little fighter, but too bad you missed," he laughed cruelly. That was probably the most terrifying thing about Vampires; they were almost impossible to kill. Even if you managed to injure them, no matter how severe, their wounds would heal in a matter of minutes. Unless of course you stabbed their heart, which I had clearly failed to do.

His cold blood soaked through my shirt and I cringed at the feel of it. I froze suddenly when I felt his nose graze over my cheek, my chest heaving up and down. "Please!" I cried, tears welling up in my eyes. I had never belittled myself into begging before, but there was no other option for me. "Just kill me! Kill me now––"

"Now why would I do that?" he taunted me, his arms constricting painfully. "It's tempting, little one...I could drain you in a matter of seconds." He seemed pleased with the thought and I shuddered when I felt his lips on my neck. "But you're valuable. Beautiful, young, pure, undoubtedly a virgin," he whispered, his body throbbing against mine with anticipation. "You're worth thousands, _millions_ even."

His words were hot against my skin, but I had goosebumps everywhere. I was terrified.

"No...no, no, no," I repeated over and over, squirming helplessly in his vice-like hold. "Please! Just kill me now!"

Prolonging the inevitable made matters insurmountably worse. There wasn't anything I wouldn't do to have a quick death, no matter how painful, but my captor was going to take me to the Selection, something I had only heard stories about, all horrifying. I was going to be sold, and when I was, I was going to become someone's permanent snack and slave.

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My wrist and ankles were bound together tightly, his shoulder jutting into my stomach with each step he took. His hand stayed possessive on the backs of my thighs to keep me from squirming around. But I had given up fighting hours ago.

I had watched intently as the terrain had changed from a solution of grass, rocks, and pine cones, to the smooth, dirt path that lead you to the Vampire's village. In the past, over the thick stone walls, I had never been able to see anything other than the massive castle, that housed the royal family, from my perch in the trees. But now, I was getting carried right past the barrier that contained the very depths of hell.

It hurt when I tried to lift my head up to see my surroundings, but I could make out the bottoms of what looked to be little cottages and shiny leather shoes of the people––no _Vampires _crowding around us. _They were everywhere. _I was concealed by them, trembling with fear, suffocated by their presence. I could feel eyes on me, watching me hungrily as I was carried off to the Selection.

"We're right on time," the Vampire exclaimed happily, not even winded by carrying another person over his shoulder for countless miles. The ringing in my ears almost blocked out the commotion going on around us.

I could hear a sudden voice, enhanced by a microphone, getting louder and louder. "Do we have any takers? You sir––5,000 dollars! Going once, going twice, _sold_ to the man in the blue jacket! NEXT!"

I was horrified to find that the stories were true.

The Vampires really did auction us off as if we were pieces of meat.

This was sick.

I was going to be sick.

The savage restraining me came a halt and not even seconds later, he was setting me down carelessly. I was dizzy from all the blood that had gathered in my head and not being able to stand for an excruciatingly long amount of time. I tumbled into him and his hands secured around my upper arms to keep me still.

Tears welled up in my eyes erratically, once again. We were standing in a line, a line of Vampires with the human or humans they had caught, surrounding what looked to be a large, wooden stage, lit up by large lights that I had never seen before. The sky was dark and the air was heavy with despair, fear, and evil.

Those who were not in the line stood off to the sides in a large mass. Some Vampires already had sickeningly pale and malnourished humans with them, secured by leashes around their necks, as if they owned them. _I was going to be like them_, I thought miserably. In a matter of days, my eyes would look like theirs, unseeing and pained. _I_ was going to have all of those bite marks puncturing my skin.

I didn't want to think like that, but it was stupid to give myself any false hope. There was no escaping my fate.

"NEXT!" The auctioneer, positioned near the center of the stage, called. I forced myself to watch as a little girl, no older than twelve, wearing rags, was lead onto the stage and held out by her captor for all of the disgusting beasts to examine.

"Let's start the bid at 1,000 dollars."

A hand shot up in the air to the right of me and its owner, greasy and disgusting held up his money. "20,000 dollars!"

The poor, helpless girl kept her eyes glued to her feet, sobbing uncontrollably. I wanted nothing more than to wrap her up in my arms and tell her that everything was going to be okay. But I was in no position to do that.

Everything was _not_ going to be okay.

Never again.

The auctioneer grinned triumphantly, excitement lacing his features. "20,000 dollars going once, tw––"

"50,000 dollars!" Someone else screamed.

"50,000 dollars go––"

"70,000 dollars!"

"100,000 dollars!"

"500,000!"

"500,000 dollars going once, twice, _sold_! Come up here to claim your new prize."

My stomach did a cartwheel into my throat and I winced. _Prize_?

The line went by slow, so slow that by the time we were at the front of the line, the sun was just barely beginning to rise. I had witnessed defenseless, innocent people being forced into the hands of hungry Vampires too many times now, and my knees were trembling. I was going to be sold next.

"SOLD!" The auctioneer said, the energy in his voice having yet to run out. "Next!"

"Ready to go?" my captor chuckled, his arm wrapping around my waist to carry me up the small set of steps off to the side of the stage. My heart was pounding in my chest so hard that it hurt. Thousands of eyes were on me, eyeing me like I was the most delicious thing they had ever seen. I refused to cry.

Someone whistled, making my chest cave in, my breathing turning into labored pants.

The auctioneer, with eyes the color of the bark on a tree, scanned me up and down, a sick smirk playing his lips. The Vampire who had kidnapped me once again secured his hold around my arms, keeping me in place. "Look what we have here! Quite the beauty, eh?"

In response, an eruption of cheers echoed throughout the audience. "Let's start the––"

"100,000 dollars!" Someone shouted desperately. I was so scared that my vision began to blur, muddling the humans and Vampires into one giant blob.

"500,000 dollars!"

"1,000,000 dollars!"

_1,000,000 dollars_. How could _anyone _have that much money on them? That had been the highest bid by far, and for nothing; I was a thin wisp of a girl, scrawny with more bruises and scrapes than clear skin. They were all _disgusting_, speculating me like some kind of animal, feeding off of my fear. I wanted to scream, 'You can't have me!' but I forced my tears back, and held my head up high. Be brave. Be brave. _Be brave, Clary._

"Woahhh! 1,000,000 dollars! Raise that money high in the air! Okay...going once, going twice, sold! Congratulations!"

My captor released me, and though my back was to him, I could see his smile vividly in my mind. My vision cleared and focused on the man that was making his way up to the stage. _Oh no._

I wanted to wrap my arms around myself and curl up on the ground. My new..._owner_ looked terrifying, even for a Vampire. He was huge, double the size of an ordinary man, and strong, muscles covering every square inch, layered under rich, white flesh. His hair was black and his eyes were big and blue, wide with hunger and desire. I tried taking a step back and nearly fell over, the hands of the auctioneer the only thing from keeping from falling on my butt.

I watched in slow motion as my captor and the hellion that had bought me exchanged handshakes. Then a new voice rang out into the open, his voice like liquid gold. "2,000,000 dollars."

Followed by gasps of surprise was an eerie silence. My head swiveled to the right and there, surrounded by men dressed in similar armor, was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. Even with glasses covering his eyes I could make out the strong features of his face and the contrast of his surprisingly tan skin against the gold of his hair.

Unlike the other bystanders, he was equipped in fancy attire, a perfectly white top tucked in black pants with shiny, leather boots.

"She was already sold to me!" the man with black hair shouted in protest.

Even from this distance, I could see the "fancy" Vampire's brow arch up from behind his glasses. There were more gasps.

The auctioneer looked over at him as if he were crazy. Before he could say anything though, the Vampire with the gold hair spoke out crisp and clear, sending unpleasant chills to run down my spine. "How _dare_ you. _I_ am your prince, you have no right to speak to me that way. If you have a problem I would be more than happy to cut off your tongue. But because I'm feeling generous, I could drive a stake through your heart if that's what you'd prefer."

The man with the black hair, though seemingly impossible, got even paler. "No, no––no your majesty. P-please forgive me, please––"

"Get out of my sight," the prince growled and the man that was at least a hundred pounds heavier than him disappeared from the stage within the blink of an eye.

The auctioneer straightened up and flashed a tremulous smile. "Sold to the prince!"

Rather than smiling at his victory, the prince's face darkened. "_Get_ your hands off of her," he barked, and that was when I realized that the auctioneer still had his hands secured around my elbows.

"Of course, your majesty," the Vampire cowered, releasing me at once and taking two giant steps away from my trembling form.

The prince's knights made a move towards the stage, as if to retrieve me for him, but he stopped them abruptly by holding up his hands in frustration. The audience was silent as the Vampire with golden hair stalked further out into the open and rounded the stairs, the closer he got, the more I wanted to disappear.

The prince crammed a wad of cash into my captor's open hand, shoving his shoulder as he made his way past him, his pace quickening in order to get to me faster. To my horror he pulled out a dagger, much like mine, from his belt. I squeezed my eyes shut, waiting to feel pain, but opened them when I felt the ropes around my ankles being torn away.

"Walk," he ordered me suddenly, his hand gripping onto my wrist. As I tried to comprehend what he had just said, I was harshly tugged forward, trying to regain my footing as he dragged me away for all of eternity.

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**Will edit soon. Sorry for any mistakes, but it took me quite some time to write this and it's 1:30 in the morning... So I'm extremely tired.**

**Tell me if I should continue. **

**THIS IS THE NEW IDRIS FALLING, just clarifying. **


	2. Home Sweet Home

**Holy Cow! Thank you so much for your incredible response to the first chapter. Though I already had a plot figured out, I wasn't sure if I was going to continue this fic, but because of all of you amazing people I am determined to keep this story going(: Expect an update once a week (not positive which day(s) yet).**

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The prince didn't take into account that he was at least a foot taller than me nor did he even consider that his strides nearly doubled mine. But why would he? He was a cold, disgusting, heartless monster. His grip stayed firm around my wrist, still bound painfully to the other, as he forced me to keep up with him, his guards following close behind us, destroying any chances I had to get away–– _Ha. _Who was I kidding?

I was_ never_ going to get away.

The looming palace in the distance, like a dark, terrifying shadow, continued to grow closer and closer. I had been raised to be strong, to never show fear, but I was petrified, unable to keep my tears locked away. Never had I been in a situation that I couldn't control the outcome. I was confident in my fighting skills, even if I hadn't fought Vampires in the past, just humans, or traitors, that lived willingly amongst the Vampires. I was fast, too, and strong for my size.

But this...The prince, though I have no idea why, wanted _me _for a reason. And it wasn't to have someone that he could enjoy tea with. He was going to prolong my death, draining me as slowly and as painfully as possible. He was going to make me his slave, break my character and force me to abide by his every command. And he was undoubtedly going to have some fun with me along the way.

The thought had me stopping abruptly several times, all resulting in a harsh tug from my captor and his fingers to constrict, igniting my fear that he would snap my arm as if it were a twig.

"Keep up," the prince barked as I tripped, managing to find the only rock on the clean path. Despite myself, I let out a sharp wince. I had stubbed my toe pretty nicely, only adding to the insurmountable cuts and gashes that brandished my sore feet. I tried to regain my footing and pressed my lips together, failing to ignore my discomfort. I heard a heavy sigh and looked up through my wet lashes to see an intent face.

I had no time to process what happened after that. One moment I was barely standing and the next I was being lifted in the air by strong, possessive arms, being suffocated against his chest. The prince acted as if I weighed nothing more than a feather, continuing on with the journey. Without me to hold him back, his pace increased noticeably.

Even behind the dark shades that hid his eyes, I could tell that his focus was on getting to the castle as fast as possible. I tried to ignore the fact that a filthy Vampire was carrying me, but he was literally engulfing me with his every essence. His flesh was flush against mine, the thin materials from our shirts acting as the only barrier, and his strong, masculine, and regrettably intoxicating aroma subjugating my senses.

I was stiff in his arms, pleading for _anything_ to save me.

_Get your hands off of me. _

_Get them _off_._

I didn't want to admit it to myself, but I wasn't capable of walking, not properly anyways.

Five minutes turned into ten minutes, and ten minutes soon turned into twenty. I didn't ever think we'd make it, but all too soon I was being carried through an impossibly large, jaw-dropping set of doors. The cold from outside melted away under the intense warmth the inside of the palace radiated. My eyes widened at my impressively scary surroundings.

The grand room we stood in was so vast that it rivaled the size of my village. A massive chandelier, beautiful crystals intertwined with solid gold, loomed overhead emitting an intense glow, enhancing every gleam, sparkle, and ounce of polished wood. I didn't want to be marveled, but I had never seen anything like this. Everything was so beautiful, so perfect, so clean. So intimidating.

It would take hours to absorb every detail, but I didn't even have a second. Once across the room, the prince left the guards in the dust and ascended the grand staircase, branching out into two smaller staircases, impossibly fast. I couldn't comprehend the portraits, flowers, red carpets, or any other glorious decorations that slurred together.

My captor took a left and mounted the set of stairs there, never once slowing down. He was determined to get to his room, where he'd do unthinkable things to me. I began to squirm in his hold, my festering panic overwhelming me. My tears began to flow with new fortification, molding my state of being into a muddled mess. The prince tried to ignore my pathetic struggles at first, but when he realized that I wasn't letting up, he crushed me further into his chest with bone crunching force. "_Stop_," he demanded. "There isn't _anywhere_ you could possibly go."

The fury behind his words startled me into falling immobile. _He was right. He was right._

He was right.

My bottom lip trembled. "Plea––"

"_Do not speak_."

The long and winding halls didn't hinder the prince one bit. He knew this place like the back of his hand, operating with ease. So many times we had passed what looked to be servants and maids, and every one of them I saw stared me down until we were out of sight, shock, confusion, and even sympathy riding their features.

_Oh God, oh God, oh God._

I was beginning to think, after going up yet another staircase, that we'd be walking all night, that maybe his room was still miles and miles away. That is until we came across a secluded area, dim in comparison to the former halls, and stopped in front of a large, mahogany door, intricately carved and polished. The prince retrieved a set of keys from his pocket, his right arm still firm around me, and quickly stuffed it into the lock. When the door swung open, to my surprise, the prince set me down as gently as possible.

Searing pain shot up my legs, leaving an intense burning in its path. My eyes darted around wildly, my breathing erratic. I didn't care if there was no use anymore, nor did I even register my torment, I just had one thought, and one thought only: Get as far away from him as you can. I began to bolt across the spacious room, dodging over the neatly placed furniture and nearly stubbing my toe again on the fireplace.

When I reached the end, I slammed my back hard against the wall, trying to make myself appear as small as possible. The light fixtures hanging above me, something I had used candles to replace back home, flickered on in an instant, illuminating my new prison. Not only did the prince have just a room, but he had his own house seemingly. Several doors lined the adjacent walls, leading to who knows where, and there was a quaint sitting room as well as a small, fancy looking kitchen.

Everything was _gold _and _expensive_.

I must not of realized the prince's absence because he suddenly reappeared in the room with two young ladies following behind him. They looked like the other servants I had previously saw, dressed in dull gray gowns with their hair pinned up sharply. One was slightly older, and the other seemed to be a little older than me with startling features that I wasn't sure I considered pretty.

To my horror, the prince began to slowly approach me, as if he was dealing with some wild animal. If not for his true nature, he could easily pass for a knight in shinning armor, like the ones I had heard about in stories. He was unmistakably beautiful, clean, and certainly emitted a confidence that only certain people were able to possess.

Without looking away from me, he said, supposedly to the two maids, "Go run a bath for her."

Somewhere in the back of my mind I registered the two figures slip behind one of the numerous doors. As the Vampire got closer and closer, I recoiled further and further against the impassable wall. A whimper escaped me when he brought out his dagger again. I looked away as he severed the painful ties around my wrists, letting my aching hands reach out in front of me to protect myself.

"I won't hurt you," he informed me softly, completely out of character. _Liar_, I thought bitterly. He let out a frustrated sigh. "Mindy and Aline are going to get you cleaned up. I'm going to show you to the bathroo––"

"I'm perfectly capable of cleaning myself," I snapped venomously, meeting his gaze behind glasses dead on. I wished that I could see his eyes, so I could burn him with my hatred and make sure that he could see.

His lips settled into a thin line. "Let me make this more clear for you: You _are_ going to allow them to bathe you."

"I know how to _bathe _myself," I said stubbornly.

His demeanor grew stiff, frustration and anger taking over, making me shudder. "_Let them clean you or I'll do it myself_!"

* * *

Living in the woods all my life I had never been exposed to a real bathroom, not like this anyways. I was forced into a sleek, white bathtub that was about as large as my room back home, filled to the brim with steaming water. I felt so violated allowing two strangers to clean me, especially considering no one, except maybe my mother when I was younger, had seen me naked before.

Grime and sweat and blood was washed away as the older lady rubbed me raw, my winces proving to be nonexistent. The two servants talked amongst themselves, being completely ignorant of the girl they were attending to. I learned that the younger one was Aline as I heard her call the other Mindy a few times throughout their conversation. "I don't understand what the prince sees in this _thing_," Aline said sourly, working diligently on my nails, currently clipping them. "He's never had a blood slave before––"

Confusion hit me with an iron fist. He _hasn't_? Nearly every Vampire, if they had the money, has owned at least a couple of blood slaves in their immortal lifetime. I had assumed that I was probably the prince's hundredth one or something. _Not _the first.

"Why her?" she continued, clipping my nail dangerously close to my skin. "She's so scrawny and small. Like she has much to offer him."

Mindy sighed, working her fingers into my long and thick hair. I _almost _felt bad for her; my hair took _me_ about an hour to wash and brush out, and when it dried it just spiraled out into untamable curls. My hair absorbed water like a sponge, getting heavier and heavier by the second. "She's pretty."

Aline snorted. "For a little girl."

I had half a mind to "accidentally" splash her in the face, but I refrained, refusing to give her any satisfaction. I locked my jaw, unable to look at the vile girl handling me. Both Mindy and Aline were humans, I could tell by the bite marks on their wrists and necks. But they were traitors. Whereas I was apart of the Resistance, trying to save humanity, there were still hundreds of humans that lived amongst the Vampires by their own choice. Of course they had to donate their blood willingly whenever, I assumed, a Vampire was in need of some.

I wanted to scream out to them, 'How could you? How could you betray your own kind! You're weak and disgusting!'

Unable to keep track of time, I felt like I was stuck in the bath for years. By the time Mindy pulled the plug, I was all shriveled up and shaking from the now cold bathwater. A white, fluffy towel was wrapped around me, replaced shortly after with an oversized robe.

The water had soothed my feet some, but now that they were exposed to the cold air, they stung like crazy. I was lead across the sparkling tile floor over to a huge vanity at the far end of the room. Mindy sat me at the chair there, a grand mirror, rimmed with gold across from me. As they brushed out my hair, I looked at my reflection grudgingly.

I had a tiny face, angular, yet delicate. Luckily I had inherited my mother's beauty rather than my father's rugged masculinity like my brother. I had a small nose, a sharp chin, and very large, green eyes. My ivory skin was dusted with freckles, something my father thought made me beautiful, and something I thought made me childish. I didn't think I was ugly, in fact I thought I was fairly attractive. But now, looking at the face so similar to my mother's, I couldn't help but feel disgusted.

_This_ was the reason the prince wanted me. Like Aline had said, I certainly didn't have a body.

After my hair was all brushed out, still sopping wet, it reached my waist. Mindy took out a pair of scissors and trimmed seemingly every strand, something I hadn't been able to do in months, taking an aggravatingly long time. Then Aline, as if to frighten me more, took out a shiny black object, resembling a weapon, and plugged it into the wall. When she pointed it at my head I made an attempt to get away, causing both girls to howl with laughter.

"Haven't you ever seen a blow dryer before?" Mindy cried.

Aline rolled her dark eyes in the mirror. "Wow you're even stupider than I thought. I'm not going to kill you, it just dries your hair."

She flipped a switch on the handle to prove her point and hot air began to shoot out of it, startling me nonetheless. Mindy, after realizing that the duty at hand was treacherous, retrieved her own blow dryer to attend to the other side of my air, strands being blown in every direction like a wild fire. When they were finally satisfied, I was amazed to find that they had done the undoable, making my crimson hair flow in soft, sleek waves.

Thinking they were finished, I was hit in the face with harsh reality. Aline took out what I learned to be a pair of tweezers and plucked my eyebrows furiously, making me cry out every time. Mindy powdered my face with toxic minerals, spraying all sorts of overwhelming fumes around me, and plumped my lips with sticky gloss. I had never worn makeup before, seeing as I never needed it when I preformed the same tasks as my brother and I didn't have anyone to impress.

Then I was stuffed into a tight fitting, green dress that revealed my legs entirely, making me feel terribly uncomfortable. And to make matters insurmountably worse, Aline found a pair of deadly shoes for my feet, ones with heels and impossible to walk in considering their current state. I was unfamiliar with shoes in general and I had only ever owned one pair, but they were handmade and I outgrew them when I was ten.

"Perfect," Mindy said the same time Aline sighed, "There's nothing more we can do."

* * *

I stumbled out into the main room, Aline and Mindy exiting the prince's chambers altogether. I certainly didn't enjoy their presence, but without them here I was all alone with the beast.

The prince, sitting on his leather couch, was suddenly on his feet, ushering for me to join him. A soft smile spread over his features as he took in my appearance. "Much better...I'll have to tell Aline to leave your hair the way it was though next time."

I tried to take another step, but ultimately failed, tripping miserably. Before I could hit the ground, however, hands were around me, the same hands that had carried me here. He pulled me upright and frowned down at my feet, swinging me up in his hold once again and rushing over to the couch he had come from. He set me down carefully, as if afraid he'd break me, and slowly removed the deathtraps on my feet, observing them intently. "These," he gestured the heels now set aside, "are not for you. Your feet will heal soon. I'll wrap them up before you go to bed, though."

He was so close to me, so unaware of the fact that I was terrified. I turned away from him when he sat beside me, his presence like poison. He didn't bite me, let alone touch me, like I had expected, he simply sat there, looking at me. "Can't you just get it over with," I said quietly.

"Get _what _over with?" he asked.

My head snapped towards his. "You know what I am talking about. If you're going to suck my blood just do it."

He inhaled sharply, ignoring me entirely when he said, "My name is Jace."

I just looked at him, half in disbelief and half-relieved. "Oh," was all I said.

"You are to call me Jace." His voice wasn't demanding, if anything it was the complete opposite. Weren't Vampires, like, I don't know...evil _all the time_?

"Oh...okay, Jace."

"Are you hungry?" he asked suddenly.

"W-what?"

Before he could repeat himself there was a sharp knock on the door. Jace immediately grew stiff, on his feet in an instant. From the other side the door came a sickeningly sweet voice. "Oh come on brother, I heard you got yourself a blood slave. Open up."

* * *

**There's chapter 2. I'm sorry it's not the most exciting chapter, but don't worry, there is much more action, drama, ROMANCE, and horror in store. **

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	3. The Other Prince

Have you ever felt this sudden alarm going off in the back of your head, a persistent siren in sync with the increased pounding of your heart? One moment you feel at ease and the next you just know that something bad is about to happen.

Even if I had been sitting with a Vampire, the prince whom now had complete control over me, and he had been sitting so close that our legs were touching, I hadn't felt unsafe. Not at all actually, which is completely parallel to how I should've been feeling.

_But that voice_.

I hadn't even seen the man standing outside the door yet, but whoever he was had Jace, the man who had terrified an oaf twice his size, looking extremely uncomfortable and tense.

"Brother, I'm waiting," the stranger called, his tone dripping with boredom. I distantly registered their relation, finding it odd due to Jace's taut demeanor. But my captor didn't move, seemingly frozen in place. "I know you're in there, you're not fooling your big bro. Okay, tell you what: If you don't open this door in the next five seconds I'll break it down." He sighed dramatically before beginning his promising countdown. "Five...four...three...two––"

Jace moved so fast that strands of my freshly wrought hair blew across my face. The door was abruptly unlocked and swinging open, leaving his older brother standing there with a smirk. "One," he said, shoving past Jace.

There was no way they could be related. Whereas Jace had aureate, effortlessly tousled locks, this new Vampire had a head full of severe black hair, impossibly straight. His face was full of sharp angles, reinforced with harsh dark eyes, fair skin, a pair of thin lips, and a slender nose. Handsome he was, but in a creepy, I-like-to-watch-you-sleep kind of way.

The only similarity between the two brothers was their tall, slender builds. Considering I was shorter than most twelve year-olds in my village, the two boys looked massive in comparison, surmounting even that of my brother's six-foot stature. Their shirts did nothing to hide the lean muscle beneath, nor did it do anything to help my bothersome perception of their vile beauty.

It was not fair for two spawns of the devil to be beautiful. Where was the justice in that?

"Sebastian," Jace bit out, shutting the door behind him.

I watched as Jace's brother, _Sebastian_, ventured closer and closer to me. _What the hell was I supposed to do?_ I felt too stricken to move, but to be caught as I was––lounging about on a couch in a Vampire's den––it'd just be...weird. I slowly rose to my feet, just in time before Sebastian's observant eyes landed on me.

His appearance certainly matched that malicious voice of his, especially when he smiled. "Ah, found her. Come here, beautiful."

I looked at him momentarily before it dawned on me that he expected me to follow his order. My eyes flickered over to Jace, who was now standing right beside his brother, his jaw locked, as if to make sure he wouldn't pounce on me, and then I began to slowly approach them.

I stopped a safe distance away from the hungry looking Vampire, winding my fingers together behind my back, looking down, observing everything I needed to through my lashes. "It took you long enough, brother. I was beginning to think you had turned human on us."

Jace stayed silent, seemingly on high alert. "Have you tasted her yet? How is she?"

I shuddered––_tasted_ me yet?

He was talking about me so blunt, so open, so repulsing. Jace, though I had know clue what he was really like yet, hadn't speculated me like his brother, hadn't made me feel so uncomfortable. Maybe God was real, maybe he was watching over me right now. If not then maybe I'd be in an even worse situation than I was now. It could've been Sebastian who had bought me.

"Not yet," Jace said tightly. "She's only been in...my possession for a few hours now."

Sebastian's persistent smile brightened. He looked down at me, eyeing the length of my body greedily, causing chills to invade my insides. "Tell me little girl, have you ever been fed from?"

It took me a long time to answer, but I eventually managed to shake my head.

He licked his lips and clasped his hands together. "Oohoo. You're lucky Jace."

"You've seen her, now go Sebastian. Before you interrupted I was about to enjoy some dinner," my detainer all but growled.

He had to be lying._ Please, God, let him be lying_. Before Sebastian had shown up hadn't Jace offered _me_ some dinner? He hadn't even made a move to bite me, unless...Unless he was trying to gain my trust. Make me gullible so feeding from me wouldn't be such a hassle. _Not_ going to happen.

I could not let my guard down.

Sebastian let out a breathy laugh, never once taking his ominous eyes off of me, as I kept mine on my feet. "Let me just ask you one question first, brother. Our father has offered you various prisoners we keep in the cellars, has even handpicked humans at the selection to give you, but you turned down every single one of them. So, why her? Don't get me wrong, she has a nice face and is certainly eye catching, but she's small and looks half-starved."

Despite everything, I was anxious to hear his answer myself. I was still more than baffled that he had chosen me. There were plenty of other women at the selection, far more beautiful than I was, that had way more to offer a prince like Jace. _Why me_?

I allowed myself to look up at Jace fully, trying to take in every detail that made up his steely face. A resounding_ smack_ echoed throughout the room, accompanied by a searing pain in my cheek, sending me into a brief oblivion. I stumbled backwards and ended up falling to the floor, clutching my aching flesh.

Sebastian stood over me, his lips pulled back in a terrifying snarl. "Learn some respect, girl," he barked, suddenly blazing with fury. "Keep your _fucking_ eyes to yourself."

I looked down instantly, my lip trembling as I fought against my tears. "You'll need to train this one if you plan on keeping her around," I heard Sebastian say.

"Leave," Jace demanded.

"Broth––"

"_I said leave_."

There was a long silence before I heard the repercussion of footsteps walking away. The door swung open and then slammed closed, its impact leaving a curt earthquake behind. Then someone was suddenly kneeling beside me, but I was too afraid to pull away.

"Are you okay?" Jace asked alarmed. "I should've warned you."

I nodded, careful to keep my eyes down.

He sighed, his fingers slowly detaching my own from my burning skin. "You can look at me," he said slowly. "I won't hurt you."

"Why not?" I dared myself to ask, slowly letting my eyes meet his––still behind his glasses. I waited for him to hit me, even flinched at first, but he did no such thing.

"I'm not like him."

"But you_ are_ like him. You're a Vampire. All Vampires are the same," I snapped.

He exhaled heavily, leaning away slightly. "I have ice you can put on that."

A frustrated sound bubbled up in my throat and I clutched my hands to my sides. "Stop being nice! Just bite me!"

To my horror he began to laugh. He stood up, his laughter still rich and melodious in my ears and stuck out his hand for me. I hit it away and quickly got to my feet by myself, sending him the glare that used to always terrify my brother.

"_What's so funny_!"

"You," Jace simply said, a real smile in place.

"Elaborate," I demanded.

"You're mad at me because I won't suck your blood," he chuckled. "A little ironic, don't you think?"

I growled, feeling a fire growing in my chest, setting my jaw. "I...I––I hate you!" I screamed. I had no idea why I said that, I just wanted to say _something_ and that happened to be it. It was true, but it seemed inappropriate considering this was the Vampire who had sent away the other Vampire who had hit me.

Jace shrugged, completely apathetic. "You're supposed to, remember? I'm a Vampire." He made a move to turn away from me before rocking back on his feet and holding up his pointer finger, as if to scold a naughty child, his face suddenly thunderous. "And don't ever mistake my hospitality for being nice."

* * *

An hour later I found myself seated at the kitchen table, a ridiculous amount of food piled in front of me. I could feel Jace's presence beside me, feel his frustration radiating off of him. "Eat," he said after a long while.

I had never seen such mouthwatering food, never even heard of or smelt anything so delicious. But, with my people starving back home, struggling to find the little food they had available, especially now due to the fire, I couldn't betray them, nor could I be so selfish. I was furious that here in the palace, where there were Vampires that had no need for food, was such an exuberant supply.

Why did they need all of this?

I pushed away my empty plate, meant for me to pile on the foods I wanted, and angled my body so that Jace wouldn't be able to see my face. His fist slammed on the table, startling me into releasing a yelp. "_Eat_."

I was sure that I was pushing my limits, but I didn't care. Jace had bought me and now it was time for him to face the consequences, see how stubborn I could truly be––

Suddenly I was being tipped back in my chair, Jace looming over me, his hands the only things keeping me from falling. "I don't think you heard me," he growled, his mouth pressing against my ear. "_I demand you to eat_."

When he pulled away, despite how scared I really was, I put on what I thought to be a menacing smile. "I'm not hungry."

He was practically shaking with rage by now, his face taking on a reddening hue. "If you do not eat I _will_ bite you."

I leaned forward, feeding off of his vexation. "Then do it."

He released a low growl and suddenly I was flying forward, trying to regain my balance as all four legs of my chair hit the ground harshly. Jace had his hands in his hair, beginning to pace back and forth to calm down.

My heart was pounding against my chest. _Too far Clary, too far._ I quickly reached out and picked up a warm piece of bread, stuffing it into my mouth noisily, not bothering to savor the heavenly taste, so that Jace could hear me.

When he finally stopped trying to burn a hole through the ground, he crossed his arms over his chest and watched as I took on another piece of bread that looked completely unfamiliar to me, gooey and sweet, a chicken leg, another large piece of meat, also something I had never tried before in my life, that tasted even more tender and glorious than the chicken, and a few spoonfuls of mixed fruit.

Though I hadn't finished everything, I was so full that I felt nauseous. I had eaten more than I would've in a week, and now I was extremely tired, wanting nothing more than to curl up in my bed back home and doze off for an entire year.

"Let me show you to your room," Jace said, fully returned to his placid self.

I looked over at him with surprise. "You mean...I get my own room?"

If he didn't want to feed from me, surely he wanted to do..._other things_ with me.

The left corner of his mouth quirked up. "Yes, unless you'd prefer to share my bed."

"N-no," I sputtered.

"Okay then."

* * *

Jace lead me past the sitting room, past the fireplace, to a small, wide hallway. Jace gestured to the set of double doors at the end of the hall, "That is my room." He stopped at a door adjacent to his dwell and opened it soundly. "This is yours."

He flickered on a set of lights and I had to put a hand over my mouth to keep from gasping. It was_ huge_. I had a bed with a canopy overhead, large enough to fit at least four fully grown people, and a nightstand on either side with embroidered lamps. To my left was a large wardrobe, a little bench, and another door, and to my right was a wall occupied by three large windows, stretching from the ceiling to the floor, currently covered with dark red curtains.

I didn't want to admit it, but it was beautiful. I had never, not even in my wildest dreams, imagined that I'd own such nice things––_but they weren't mine_. No. They were _his_.

Jace made his way past me and went to the other door. I expected it to lead into his room, but when he opened it I found another bathroom, and a huge one at that. He ushered me to follow him and I hesitantly obliged.

I was given a tour of all of my new belongings (that weren't really _mine_), ranging from a toothbrush, to a blow dryer, to a grand bathtub, to the millions of towels beneath the sink. Jace mentioned a thing called a 'shower', but he said that he would show me it tomorrow.

"Aline will be here in a few minutes to get you ready for bed. I'll be back later to make sure you're asleep."

"I don't need Aline," I said sharply, dreading having to see that girl again. "I can get ready myself."

Jace groaned, his back to me as he began to descend the bathroom. "You are going to be such a pain in the ass."

"So then why don't you let me go?" I hadn't meant for Jace to hear me, but he had.

He turned on me, so fast, so sudden, so aggressively that I tried jumping away, only to have his hands latch around my wrists and pull me towards him. "Listen here: I am _never_ letting you go and I am not going to put up with this little temperament of yours anymore. _You belong to me_. Get. That. Through. Your. Head."

* * *

Aline didn't bother knocking, she simply stormed into my room, yanked me to my feet from my position on the bed, and dragged me back into the bathroom. She didn't talk to me as she stripped me of my dress, but I could tell that she was just itching to rake her sharp fingernails across my flesh until I was nothing but a pile of blood and bones. She quickly threw on a nightgown over my head and tied the back unnecessarily tight.

Without Mindy here she was even more hostile than before. As she brushed out my hair, I felt strand after strand fall out, my scalp screaming with every stroke. I almost opened my mouth to tell her to be a little more gentle, but I set my jaw and settled for wincing.

"Brush your teeth," she ordered me.

She didn't have to tell me twice, nor did she have to make the water so hot when she began to scrub at my face with a washcloth. By the time she was finished I was sure that my face was beet red, but I didn't have time to look in the mirror because Aline was shoving me out into the bedroom not even a second later.

Before the evil little minx left, she turned towards me with a wicked grin. "That bruise on your cheek looks pretty painful. Don't worry though, it certainly won't be the last one the prince will give you. See you in the morning." And with that, she turned off the lights and shut the door behind her.

* * *

Upon crawling into bed, I felt suffocated by the massive comforter and numerous pillows surrounding me. The fluffy mattress felt nice against my tender muscles, but as relaxed as I was, I couldn't fall asleep. Not with all of the guilty thoughts swarming my head; my father was probably driving himself insane searching for me, even with the knowledge that I had been taken by Vampires and there was no way he'd be able to find me, undoubtedly still looking in the dark. My family probably thought I was being tortured and drained, but here I was, not at all hurt.

If only there was a way I could send a message that said I was okay.

About ten minutes later there was a soft knock at the door. Jace, without waiting for me to answer, opened the door and turned the lights back on. He was carrying a white case with a large red cross on the front with him, as well as a glass of water. "Glad I caught you before you fell asleep," he said, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Sit up," he uttered, pulling the warm covers off of me and placing the glass of water on the nightstand closest to us. I did as he said, still frightened at what he had told me earlier, and genuinely confused by how his moods seemed to change so frequently.

"Give me a foot."

Hesitantly, I placed my right foot in his open hand, as Jace opened up the case with his other. He placed my heel on his thigh and pulled out a light blue bottle and a few cotton balls. Before I knew what he was doing, he was rubbing my food generously with the cold swabs, causing my skin to bubble and sting. "This is an antiseptic. It'll get rid of any infection and help you heal faster." I still tried to pull away multiple times, but to no avail.

When he was finally finished with that step, he wrapped my foot in a thick bandage, repeating the same process with the other.

"See, that wasn't so hard."

"Speak for yourself," I grimaced, lying back, hearing another chuckle escape him.

"Get some sleep." And with that, he left me alone in the dark, leaving me to ponder why he had even bothered to leave me a glass of water, let alone take the time to make sure my feet were well cared for. I had been here, as he had put it, 'in his possession', for not even an entire day, but long enough for him to have fed from me, to have done _something_. Yet...he had hardly touched me, so why was he so adamant to keep me?

* * *

**I updated pretty quickly this time, hopefully you all enjoyed it!**

**Aline is quite the little brat in this fic, huh? And what about Sebastian? Gah, mean, mean, mean! If you're worried, that was only the first of many Sebastian scenes, and he only gets meaner...HAHA.**

**Thanks so much for your support.**

**PLEASE REVIEW. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, REVIEW.**

**Until next time, peace.**


	4. The Feud

Hundreds of years ago, around year 2000, a new species stepped out from the shadows, igniting terror that has yet to perish. It had been Jace's father that ultimately caused the human race to downfall, subjugating every other Vampire colony, gaining complete control, and killing off or imprisoning those who fought against or disagreed with him.

The King has yet to lose his throne, and he never will unless someone or something can overthrow him.

After the Vampires took over, no mortal was safe, coerced to live amongst the monsters responsible for the deaths of their loved ones, fed upon unprovoked, and treated like the dogs they used to own as pets. That is until my grandfather, but a little over sixty years ago, lead an aggregation of people to fight back.

They broke out of the Vampire's village and thus started the Resistance. I only ever met my grandfather when I was a mere infant, for he died a few weeks after I was born. But I have heard countless enlivening and incredible stories about him, have witnessed the impact he has had on our lives firsthand, and consider him, along with my father, my heroes.

Despite not having any choice in the matter, being taken by the royal family, let alone the Vampires, was beyond foolish on my part. My father, still to this day, is the man keeping the Resistance alive, but as soon as word gets out to the King that he has me in his dominion, there's no saying what he could do.

I would like to think that my father would sacrifice me in order to save our cause, but I know him too well.

I had only been taken a day ago, but, now that I wasn't running on pure adrenaline and false hope, I felt myself crumbling. I missed my family, missed my woods, missed my freedom. Being cooped up alone with a stranger was bad enough, but to be held at the mercy of a Vampire that was the prince?

_Yeah._ Not good.

I threw my legs over the side of the bed and carefully placed my freshly wrapped feet on the ground, giving myself a moment before I heaved my aching body to a stand. I must've searched the room twenty times after Jace had left me alone last night, trying to find anything that I could use as a weapon, but that had proved to be an arduous task, especially since I couldn't turn on the lights.

Before I could make another step, the bedroom door was swinging open. I froze when I saw a fresh looking Jace wearing a surprised grin. "I didn't think you'd be awake yet."

I shrugged, not knowing what else I could do. "Oh."

He stepped past the threshold of the door and closed it behind him, taking away my vitality. I felt solidified as he approached me, my eyes averting themselves elsewhere when he was no more than a foot away. "I thought I could show you the shower," Jace said, holding out his arm for me. When he saw that I had no intention to take it, he sighed and ushered me to follow him into the bathroom.

* * *

He ended up leading me past the bathtub to a rectangular, glass box. I watched carefully as he slid the door open and stepped inside. There was a large handle on the wall opposite of him and he let his fingers brush the metal there, shooting me a smile when he noticed my awed expression.

"It's just like taking a bath, except quicker and easier," Jace explained. "I take it you've never seen one of these before?"

I could only shake my head.

He chuckled, stepping out of the shower and maneuvering himself in between me and the door. His hand went to the handle once again and he flipped it on, a stream of water shooting itself out of the circular disk above it. I gasped, admiring how much it resembled rain.

"This handle controls the heat of the water," Jace elaborated, the smile on his face never ceasing, demonstrating to me as he pushed it back and forth. "I suggest putting it somewhere in the middle, though, because the water can get pretty damn hot."

If only we had some of these back home...

"Aline will be here soon, so I'll just... leave you to it."

* * *

I absolutely loved showers. I lost count of how many minutes went by as I just stood under the warm drizzle, letting the water massage and soothe my bruises and cuts. Only when the tips of my fingers started to become wrinkled did I start lathering my body and hair with all of the heavenly soaps and scrubs.

Jace had supplied me with dozens of different shampoos, conditioners, and body gels, and I took my time, testing out each and every one, to find the positively best smelling there was. In the end I found myself gravitating towards the sweet and inviting smell of apples. It was not only earthy, but it reminded me of home.

After I had rinsed and repeated several times I went back to just standing under the shower head.

_Bang!_

I jumped and turned towards the door, surprised to say in least when I saw Aline. "You've been in there for over forty minutes!" she shouted. "Get out."

I tried covering up my body as my other hand went to the handle, turning it off all the way. Aline yanked the foggy glass barrier between us to the side and pulled on my arm, nearly making me slip when my feet––which I had unwrapped before getting in––touched the tiles.

Aline threw a towel at me and I wrapped it around me as quick as possible, wondering how a person could become so hostile. I watched as Aline stalked towards the vanity, whipping around the instant she stood in front of the mirror. "Are you stupid or something? Get over here." She was even worse than the night before. Probably because I was still alive.

I stumbled in order to get to her and as soon as I was at an arms length away, Aline's hand wrapped around my forearm, forcing me into vanity's seat. "I don't have all day," she barked, retrieving the dreaded brush from the top drawer. I almost offered to brush out my hair myself, but before I could even open my mouth, the sharp bristles were tearing into my scalp.

Every wince I made I saw Aline smile in the reflection. The conditioner made my hair much silkier than normal, but that didn't matter to the blockhead, she just kept brushing, and brushing, and brushing. I had hoped that my abuse was over when she finally set the brush down, but then I reminded myself that I'd be having to endure this for as long as I was here, making me feel much, much worse.

I'm so glad that Aline wasn't a Vampire.

My tormenter grabbed a white dress from the counter adjacent to us and she had me stand, throwing the fabric over my head and straightening out the seams. I wished so badly to have pants again, to not have to wear such sensual underwear, to be able to get ready on my own. To stab Aline in the chest with a dagger.

Like the night before, gloss was applied to my lips and powder to my face, but, as Jace had probably reminded Aline beforehand, my hair wasn't blow dried, it was left natural and crazy.

As she began to finish up the final touches, Aline raked her fingers through my already curly, semi-dry hair, impelling my head back. I felt her breath against my ear as I struggled to get out of her clutches. "I bet that you won't even last a week," she sneered. "I hope that I'll be the one to find your dead body, drained and so beaten that you'll look like a blueberry." She released her hold with a smug look and I glared at her, narrowing my eyes and squaring my shoulders.

"See you tonight," she chimed, practically skipping away.

_One day that girl is going to be sorry._

* * *

I slowly walked out into the hallway, trying not to alert Jace that I was out of my room. I hadn't intended on ever leaving the room he had given me, at least not willingly, but the more time that went by with me just lying down on my bed, doing nothing, the more trapped I felt. I wanted to explore, and if possible search the kitchen for some extra sharp knives.

Before I could fully round the corner, though, I caught a glimpse of golden hair. I flattened my back against the wall and carefully peered out from behind it, finding Jace to be sitting on one of his many ottomans, his back to me. He must not of heard me because he stayed as he was, looking at the hand out in front of him.

That was when I realized that he didn't have his glasses on. I saw the dark shades in his other hand, resting on his thigh, his hand raised in the air moving in slow, careful motions.

The sun that streamed in from the windows highlighted his hair, making each strand appear to be dazzling. From the current angle I was standing in, I could make out the tips of his long eyelashes, his sharp cheekbone, and his strong jaw line, his beauty almost picturesque. It was so ironic that a demon looked like an angel.

Time seemed to have stopped.

I could've watched him all day, never once getting bored, but all of the sudden Jace's hand stopped moving, suddenly aware of my presence. He put his glasses back on before spinning on his feet to face me, seemingly a little startled. I had been caught watching him, and to run back and hide in my room would be silly, so I boldly stepped out into the open, letting myself bask in the sun.

He stared at me. I stared at him.

After what seemed to be a long time, Jace exhaled heavily. "You hungry?"

I shook my head. "No."

He frowned. "You know I'm going to make you eat anyways, right?"

"What were you just doing a second ago?"

Without missing a beat, he answered, "Nothing of importance."

"Oh."

"Come here," he said.

I didn't know what I was thinking or what I'd be able to accomplish, but I held my ground in defiance.

One of his eyebrows arched upwards. "Do I need to repeat myself?"

Maybe if I was an annoying brat, Jace wouldn't want me anymore. Fat chance, but what else could I do? I couldn't be _friendly_, not with a Vampire. I also couldn't casually converse with him like we were acquaintances. If he wasn't going to keep me around for blood, then there was absolutely no point to me being here.

Jace let out a low growl and then he began to stride towards me, not giving me any time to get away. I had managed to reach the midpoint of the hallway when a hand shot out in front of me, nearly causing me to topple backwards. Jace angled his body so that I had no escape and pressed me against the wall. "I don't think you understand, _little girl_," he hissed. "When I say come, you come. When I tell you to eat, you eat." His face inched towards mine with every word he barked out. "You do as I say, got it?"

I stared down at me feet, trying to ignore how frightening he sounded. When I didn't answer, let alone look at him, he let out an angry bellow. I watched in horror as his fist came down, squeezing my eyes shut long after I heard the impact of it hitting the drywall, just inches from me head. Then, his fingers were jabbing into my chin, forcing me to look up at him.

"_Do_. _You_. _Understand_?"

My eyes tightened. "You don't control me!" I shouted. "I don't belong to you, I belong to _me_."

His fingers constricted, making me involuntarily wince, and then the pressure disappeared altogether. He'd dropped both of his hands down to my sides, securing them around my waist. Jace stepped flush against me, slamming me further into the impassable enclosure. His lips pressed against my neck as he spoke. "Are you scared?" he asked, his voice menacing.

"N-no," I stifled, attempting to shove him off of me, but it was helpless.

"Really?" he laughed, "I can _feel _your pulse. It's racing."

"I'm not scared."

"You know, it's not very smart to anger a Vampire, little girl. You're going to be here for a long, long, _long _time, and I want to be nice, but if you continue to be this hardheaded...things are going to have to change."

I felt his lips trail across my cheek as he pulled away so that our noses were touching. I took in deep breaths, forcing myself to keep my composure. "Do you understand?" he pressed.

"W-why...why do you need me h-here?"

"_Do you understand_?"

"Why haven't you fed from me yet?"

He growled. "_Answer me_!"

"W-what do you want from me?"

At that moment I knew that I had gone way too far because his fangs shot out, as sharp as razors. I let out a scream and tried to wiggle out of his hold until he made it nearly impossible for me to move, one of his hands yanking on a gathering of hair to the right of head, exposing the left side of my neck to him.

"I don't want to have to do this," he gnarled.

"No!" I screamed. "Please! I understand! I underst––!"

His teeth sank into my flesh, pain shooting through my body in expansive waves as he sucked my blood. Tears sprung to my eyes and I let out a wail, feeling more deprived and consumed by the second. My mind felt disarrayed and my vision became hindered by fuzzy, black blobs.

Right before I thought I would pass out, he pulled away, panting, his hands the only things supporting my weight. My perception slowly focused in on Jace's face. To my surprise he seemed absolutely horrified, his mouth slightly ajar, blood––_my _blood dripping from his lips, his brows furrowed, taking in all of me. "I..." he breathed, shaking his head. "I-I...I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry––I didn't mean to. I can't believe I..."

I watched, seemingly stuck in slow motion, as he ripped into his own wrist and pushed it towards my mouth. I turned away, but not quick enough. "Please," Jace said, " just drink. It'll make you feel better."

I had no choice, his sweet and ingratiating blood flooding into my own mouth, making me feel so much better, my insides warm with pleasure. Before I knew what was happening, I began to suck for more of it, driven to quench my newfound desire. Reality came back to me like a slap in the face, and, disgusted with myself, I shoved his arm away, wiping at my chin and refusing to look at him.

I wanted more.

How could I _want _more?

Jace kept a hand on my shoulder to keep me steady, but my energy had already been restored. By _his _blood. "I'm so sorry," he said.

I couldn't even register how sincere he was, anger festering inside of me. I was absolutely appalled with myself. I had just willing fed from_ him_. And I wanted to do it again. My own body was betraying me, throbbing with the need to taste his blood, my eyes begrudgingly narrowing in on the rich scarlet trailing from his forearm.

I harshly shrugged off his hand and pushed past him, breaking off into a sprint. Once I had reached my room, I slammed the door as hard as I could, falling to the floor, and began to ball my eyes out.

* * *

**. . . **

**What do you guys think?**

**Thank you so much for all of your reviews and support! It really means the world to me and encourages me to keep the chapters coming!(: **

**This is already chapter 4?**

**What did you guys think about Aline? How about JACE? **

**Well, until next time...**

**iLoveyouguys!**


	5. Regret

**Here it is! **

* * *

Jace had tried to get me to come out of my room countless times in the past week, but his attempts were all futile. The day he sucked my blood and made _me_ drink from him in return was the day I stopped talking to him.

_A week_. I had been his prisoner for eight days.

Jace hadn't fed from me in the time being. He hadn't even touched me. But he had forced me to eat and valiantly pursued his growing ambition to hear my voice, sitting on the edge of the bed I had refused to get out of for hours at a time, telling me stories that went in one ear and out the other. Everything that came out of his mouth was nonsense, rubbish that I had no aspiration to hear.

Though he was always uncharacteristically gentle with me, I could feel his frustration swelling within him. It was only a matter of time before he'd snap and then drink from me again, like the monster he was. Like the monster he had told me he wasn't.

Yes, it had occurred to me that if I had been sold to some other filthy blood sucker I wouldn't be getting away with my behavior, that Jace wasn't like his brother. But he had violated me. The jagged, ugly, blue marks on my neck would forever be a reminder of how evil the prince really was. That he _was _a Vampire.

I had never felt so depressed in my life, the same thought persisting to darken my mind every second of every day.

I had been a monster that day too.

What would my father think if he knew?

I had betrayed my people. I had belittled myself into a disgusting mundane, no better than the creature holding me captive, not worthy of my title, that would forever be haunted by the _joy _I had felt while drinking Jace's blood. _Why did I have to _like _it?_

And what did this mean for me? Would I be sprouting fangs by my eighteenth birthday? No one in my village knew how a human was turned into a Vampire, they just knew it was possible, and I would rather die than become one.

I knew it was morning, the light peering out from behind the curtains told me that much, and my stomach dropped a little. Aline would be coming in any moment, and she'd bite me regardless of her true nature if she saw that I hadn't showered yet.

I didn't need her to torture me more than she already did, so I sloppily removed my deteriorating body from my bed and sulked into the bathroom, jumping into a shower that was alarmingly hot. No matter how many times I had showered in the past week, I never felt any less dirty, any less guilty, or any better.

The strong scent of apples soon filled the small, glass enclosure and I closed my eyes in recollection, a small smile forming at my lips.

"Give it back!" my seven year-old self screamed, arm outstretched, taking off towards the much taller and stronger boy in front of me.

Jonathan's brown hair had seemingly turned three shades lighter, the sun beating down on the two of us relentlessly. My brother stuck out his tongue, dodging my attack with a snicker. "If you want it back...you'll have to catch me."

The stolen, juicy, red apple in his hand became my motivation as I charged after him, hedging over and under branches, shrubs, and rocks. I chased him for what seemed to be hours until he finally stopped, his laughter proving to be hard to contain, and contagious.

"Give it back, you big dummy," I panted.

Jonathan's teal eyes, a beautiful combination of our father's and mother's, were bright with mischief, like they always were. "You're getting faster," he breathed, pride sent soaring through me. I watched as he held the apple up to his mouth, much to my annoyance, and took a massive bite, his laughter fortified at seeing my reddened cheeks.

He licked his lips, letting out a satisfied moan, and tossed me the soiled apple. "You really know how to pick them, Clary."

"Yuck," I grimaced. "You ruined it."

He shrugged, placing his arm around my scrawny shoulders and beginning the hour-long walk back home.

I missed him so much. Jonathan, though he was a little over a year older than me and a pain in the ass, was my best friend. We were inseparable. He always knew how to make me laugh, would practice fighting with me for hours, take me on adventures to our favorite places in the woods, and made me feel safe.

What I wouldn't do just to see him again.

I sucked in a tight breath, clenching my hands into fists. _I _will _see him again. _I will get out of this hellhole, I will kill Jace, and I will find my father and brother. I will reunite with Simon and Isabelle and Hodge––everyone, even if it's the last thing I do.

* * *

Aline was at war with my hair, getting more aggressive by the second as she looked me over for the tenth time that morning to see if I had any more bite marks. She grumbled something unintelligible under her breath, her dark eyes alight with fury.

I'm sure that Jace handpicked Aline, knowing that she was the cruelest and craziest of them all, to ensure my misery. He was too much of a coward to hurt me himself so he picked someone he knew he could count on to do the dirty work for him. What a demon.

"I don't understand!" Aline suddenly exploded, throwing the brush down against the vanity. "What does he want with you!"

_I'd love to know the answer myself._

"You look fine," she seethed. "No broken bones, _nothing_!"

I wasn't sure whether I found her display to be more terrifying or amusing. I stifled a giggle as she stomped away to retrieve a new dress for me, itching to add to her confusion. I knew better than to say anything when in her presence, and I really didn't have much to say, so I kept my lips locked.

She returned, throwing a bundle of green fabric at me. "You can get dressed yourself," she thundered. "And wipe that stupid smile off of your face."

* * *

_Knock_. _Knock_._ Knock._

Jace stepped inside my room, his usual frown in place. "I brought you breakfast," he said, carefully approaching me. "I think you'll like pancakes..."

He handed me the plate, not expecting an answer, and strided across the room, drawing the curtains away from the windows. Having done nothing but sit in a dark room for over a week, the sun seemed almost foreign to me, making my eyes squint as they struggled to adjust to the new atmosphere.

He watched from afar as I ate the pancakes carefully. He was right. I did like them, but I wasn't going to tell him that. I simply went about my meal, plopping a few grapes here and there in my mouth and washing down the savory goodness with a glass of orange juice. I let him know I was finished when I put the close to empty plate on my nightstand.

"Did you like them?"

I kept my face impassive, turning away from him when he came to retrieve the remains. I heard him sigh, keeping my eyes down when I saw him stop in front of me. "Look...I want you to know that I didn't mean to lose control. I really didn't. I will never hurt you like that again, I promise."

I refrained from rolling my eyes.

"Are you ever going to talk to me?"

He took my silence as his answer. "Well...that's unfortunate. Not just for me, but for you. You'll get pretty lonely here if you won't talk to your only roommate."

I kept my jaw locked, resisting the urge to kick him in the shin.

"Will you just say something? Anything? You can call me whatever you want, scream at me if you must. Just _do _something."

He waited for a few moments before continuing. "Look, I know I'm not your most favorite person in the world. I get that. And I don't deserve your forgiveness, but..._this_––you not talking is going to eventually drive us both insane...Please. Say something."

Ha, like not talking to him would ever hinder me. I was the queen at doing the silent treatment. Once I went without talking to Jonathan for two weeks, only succumbing to using my words when Jonathan was weeping at my feet, and I actually liked him, so keeping my mouth shut with Jace for eternity wasn't going to be an issue.

"Gah," he grumbled, clearly exasperated. I flinched away from his feather-like touch when I felt his fingers suddenly grasping my chin. It wasn't like he was emitting pain, but his hold was strong enough so that I couldn't pull away, and he gradually forced me to look up at him.

I wanted to tear those stupid glasses from his eyes, see what he was hiding, but I didn't want to have to touch him on my own behalf. I could see, however, how sincere he was, lines around his lips that weren't there a week ago, probably from constantly frowning, and a dull hue tainting the skin beneath his shades. He looked tired and almost as depressed as I felt.

"I will do anything," he said, his voice a mere whisper. "I just want to hear your voice."

He seemed to give up after a few agonizingly slow moments, releasing my chin. But then he took ahold of my wrist, catching me off guard, causing my smile to disappear. My eyes flashed with confusion and I heard him chuckle. "I can't force you to talk, but I can force you out of this room."

He couldn't _force _me to do anything. I was _not _leaving this room.

I yanked my arm away with startling strength and rolled over on my back, flinging off of the opposite side of the bed, the thickness of the mattress acting as a barrier between us. I could tell that Jace was trying to hide his smile, but the corners of his mouth twitched noticeably. "You're really going to have to make me come and get you?...Well...all right then."

All while deciphering his every move, I, not for the first time, deduced that Jace had Vampire-killing-proofed the room, and knew that I was going to have to rely soley on my fighting skills to get him away from me. Jace strided the length of the bed, swerving around the footboard, but, before he could get to me, I dropped to the ground and pushed myself under the safety of the bed, earning a loud scoff in return. "Really."

I kicked out at his hands, and, judging by the abrupt howl he let out, I think I managed to sock him in the face. I only had the upper hand for a good ten seconds, though, because Jace's long, slender fingers wrapped themselves around my ankles, depriving me of my coverage and forcing me out into the open. With a new red mark covering his right temple, he looked down at me, face smug in all of his glory.

I began to scissor kick mercilessly, trying to free my two captive limbs, but, when I realized that my efforts were futile, I calmed down just a bit, enough for me to evaluate what I was able to do in this position. Jace, thinking that I had given up, let out a relieved sigh, but it was short lived when I managed to hook my foot around the back of his knee and heaved him forward. Just before Jace's body would've laid me out like the pancakes I'd had for breakfast, I rolled out of the way, to my feet.

Jace's fists hit the ground on either side of him, a sly smile in place as his slithered to a stand. "A member of the Resistance."

I shot him a smirk, on the inside screaming for a weapon.

"Of course you have to know how to fight," Jace muttered, laughing in near disbelief. "Well...What's your next move? Not to alarm you or anything, but I was going easy on you before."

I let out a snort, which Jace, for some reason beyond me, found to be a good thing, a genuine smile playing across his lips. "I believe I'm making progress."

_You wish._

"There's nowhere for you to run, little girl," Jace said, closing the distance between us with each word he conversed. My fingers suddenly inched towards the right, reaching for, what looked to be in that moment, the most beautiful thing I had ever seen.

I knew that Jace was expecting me to put up a fight, but I also knew that there was no way he was expecting me to fling a lamp at him. So, that's just what I did, almost mad at myself for not thinking of using it before.

I didn't stick around to watch, but I heard the gruesome impact and the equally disturbing aftermath. I darted across the room and into the bathroom, locking the door behind me and racing towards the vanity. Once I had retrieved the chair there, I secured it under the door handle, hoping that it would buy me some extra needed time.

A girl could only hope...

_Bang! Bang! Bang!_

"Open this door _now_!"

I was all out of options. The only thing I could really do now was hide, and the closet looked especially appealing. The door began to vibrate, struggling to stay intact with its hinges , surely due to Jace yanking on the door handle. I fled into the dark room, embedding myself behind the tight wall of closely hung dresses.

_Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang._

Holy...He was going to break the door down––!

_**BOOSH!**_

Yup. Door's gone.

I heard what sounded like wood hitting the wall, and that was my indicator that I wouldn't be having a chair to sit in at the vanity anymore. "Okay," Jace's voice rang out, and, to my dismay, he sounded humored. "I don't know whether or not I should call you stupid, but I don't think you understand what a _Vampire _is. You're playing a dangerous game, little girl."

I could not only hear him growing closer, but I could _feel _him, an unwelcome shiver running down my spine.

He was a shark and I was the poor, fin-less fish, currently drowning, waiting for him to eat me.

"Ready or not, here I come," he chimed. I recoiled further into the closet, unintentionally causing a hanger to _ding _against the metal pole above me. I could almost see Jace's smile now, his footsteps momentarily ceasing.

"Now...I wonder where you could be," he tantalized, chuckling profusely. "Nope, not in the shower...Not in the bathtub...Hmm, maybe under this cabinet––nope. Damn, you're good at this."

I squeezed my eyes shut when I heard the carpet of the closet give way under the pressure of Jace's boot. I felt suffocated, shielded behind the thick barrier of seemingly impermeable clothes, encompassed by heat. "You know," Jace said, "quite the good hiding place, but the legs are a dead give away. Shame."

Hands were suddenly around my waist and I let out a loud squeal as he hoisted me into his embrace. He carried me out of the closet and over the door that was now apart of the floor, and into the bedroom. Back to square one. I began to writhe and squirm in his grasp, not even in the slightest intending to make this easy for him.

"Would you––stop!"

Just as we passed the bedpost my hands latched around it, ceasing our progress. Jace let out a low growl, his own hands fortifying their hold around my waist. "Let go of that now."

The shaking of my head was unnecessary, but I was feeling extra stubborn. "Of for the love of God," Jace sighed, "I just want to show you the library."

Fat chance.

As Jace pulled on me, I continued to grasp onto the pole, making this a game of tug of war, where Jace's opponent was the rope.

"_Let go_!" Jace seethed, pulling harder, almost to the point where I thought he'd dislocate my arms from their sockets.

My fingers were white as I held on for dear life, slowly losing their firm grip. With one last viscous exertion, I had lost my dominance and Jace was fully gathering me in his arms once again. He let out a tired laugh, and I'm sure, if he wasn't a Vampire, he'd be panting. "You just don't know when to stop."

He positioned himself so that I couldn't grab ahold of my bedroom door, and, as soon as were exposed in the wide hallway, he was flinging me over his shoulder. "What a work out."

I let out a huff and began to hit my fists against his strong back. "That feels nice," Jace moaned. "Almost like a massage."

_Asshat_.

* * *

**Done. Yhew, I'm currently writing the next chapter for _Hate _as well, so I've been writing a lot this Sunday. I thought that this chapter was funny, if anything. **

**What do you guys think? YUP, that means you should REVIEW(:**

**I already have something planned for next week and I'm pretty excited because I think it will really move the story along.**

**Do you guys like this Clary and Jace?**

**Well, until next time. Peace.**

* * *

**P.S. Anyone else pissed off at the ending of _Allegiant_? SO SAD)':**


	6. Finally

_If _I wasn't refusing to talk to him, I'd be cursing Jace out and giving him a piece of my mind. You have no idea how bad I wanted to, but then he'd win and my whole 'killing him with silence' would be all for nothing.

This was what he wanted, I deduced. Jace was trying to get on my very last nerve––and was doing an exceptional job––so that I'd have no other option but to speak to him. Very, very clever. And carrying me over his shoulder, as if I was incapable of walking myself, was a nice cherry on top.

I couldn't help but want to give in though. Saying that I hadn't thought of shouting at the top of my lungs something like 'Put me down you big ogre!' or 'I hope you burn in hell, where you belong!', I'd be totally lying.

Who the hell gave Vampires the ability to have annoying human characteristics?

Not only do they have to look like us, but they, especially this one, had to be just as aggravating, if not more, than my brother.

And the whole time, as Jace intentionally put an extra bounce in his step, causing me to bob almost painfully against his back, he just kept talking, and talking, and talking.

For the time being he was telling me something about how he wished Vampires could act so that he could still watch cable TV––whatever the hell that was––but as I listened to him all I could get out of it was: "Blah, blah, blah...I'm an asshat, blah, blah, blah."

"So, little girl, have you ever watched any TV?"

_Little girl. _Why the hell did he keep calling me that?

"No, of course not," he went on, answering for me himself. "Don't you people in the Resistance live under a rock in the woods? I heard that you people are ancient, living like cavemen and passing off cooked rabbit as filet mignon.

"Have you ever tried filet mignon?"

_Does he ever shut up?_

"I haven't tried it myself," he said, "you know, since I'm a Vampire and all, but...it looks pretty good."

Not to sound weird or anything––actually there was no other way to put it; this sounded extremely outlandish, but...what he said had me thinking whether or not Vampires had a certain preference as to what they considered 'good blood'. Like, did some people taste better than others? Were animals, since humans enjoyed them enough, taste better than us–– Well, that'd actually be impossible, otherwise I wouldn't be here right now.

Was some blood spicy? Sweet?

_Okay_. Clary can you get any more eccentric?

"I've heard it's out of this world," Jace continued. "So...Tomorrow morning, I'm thinking ahead here, do you want pancakes again or this stuff called 'French toast'? I'd personally go for the latter, you know to change things up a bit, but you seemed to really like those pancakes.

"Or," he drawled out, "do you want a little of both? Have you e––"

I couldn't handle it any longer. I reached my hand up, curling my body awkwardly, and flicked him behind the ear as hard as I could, something my brother used to do to me when I beat him in a race.

Jace seemed to have been struck my lightening, jumping up in the air and letting out a loud yelp. "_Ouch_! That actually really hurt."

This genuinely surprised me.

So I did it again.

And again.

And again until Jace practically threw me back to the ground, clutching his ear, his face beet red as his lips thinned together in pain. Before I could get away, however, his hands were around my waist, lifting my feet off of the ground once again, and securing me tightly to his chest.

"_Don't _do that again," he warned me.

Ha! Jackpot, I found his weak point. Now all I had to do was somehow find a way to tie him to his bed and then...then I'd just flick him repeatedly until he was..._dead_? Mhmm. Perfect...

"You are the most stubborn, little thing..." Jace trailed off, stopping in front a set of double doors and letting out a long, heavy sigh in relief. "_Finally_."

He removed one hand from around my waist and used it to swing one of the doors open, carrying me awkwardly the rest of the way through, before setting me down and slamming the door behind him. He pulled out a key from his pocket and twisted it in the lock, and, upon seeing my confused glare, he shot me a smirk. "Just taking precautions."

Seeing as there really was no other way out, I spun away from him, unable to stand looking at him any longer, and let out a gasp. There seemed to be millions upon millions of shelves, all illuminated by mesmerizing, colorful book covers.

The sight brought me back to the collection of books, not near as grand as this one, Hodge had kept in his cott back home. He was one of the only people in the village that had them, and, more importantly, that could read them.

Even if I couldn't exactly understand them on my own, seeing the little printed letters across the thousands of pages, to me, was beautiful. And that fresh ink smell was intoxicating. Hodge had taught me most of what was called the 'alphabet'. So far I knew fifteen of the twenty-six letters.

Hodge must've read the books he had millions of times each because, since I was ten, he didn't even have to bother looking into the books he owned any longer, he'd just tell me the numerous tales from his memory.

Still, I always found his stories more enjoyable when he, to my amazement, actually read them to me. What I wouldn't do to be able to do that.

I found myself gravitating towards them, in an unbreakable trance. As soon as I stood in front of one of the lower shelves, I reached out and gently stroked one of the smaller binds. "_Of Mice and Men_," I heard Jace, who was now standing behind me, say. "By John Steinbeck."

I turned towards him in surprise. It was only fitting that he knew how to read considering the amount of books he owned. But, even if I knew it to be true, it was so fascinating to see someone else, besides Hodge, that could read.

"You have good taste, little girl," he smiled down at me.

The smile I had on my face vanished. _There he goes again._

Go die in a hole.

At this he smirked once again, "I see I've struck a chord. You don't like it when I call you 'little girl', do you."

I couldn't help but fortify my glare.

"Hmm," Jace said, his voice full of mischief. He took a deep breath, pausing for an agonizing amount of time, getting the rise out of me he was looking for. "Little girl, little girl, little girl, little girl, little girl, little girl, little girl––"

"_My name is _not _'little girl_'," I screamed, my top bursting out of control._  
_

Jace looked down at me knowingly, as if he didn't have anything covering his eyes, an infuriating grin in place. "You're sure?"

"_Yes_! I think I'd know my own name!"

Then, through the fury that had muddled my brain, what I had just done dawned on me. I _spoke _to him!

I squeaked, placing a hand to my mouth, the other stern on my hip. I stomped my foot on the ground and looked at him accusingly. "You, you...you, you ugh!"

Jace began to crack up, clearly amused and satisfied nonetheless. His laughter filled the air like an annoying song.

When he finally calmed down, which, believe me, took an unnecessarily amount of time, he went back to gazing down at me, his face so smug that I just barely resisted the urge to smack him as hard as I could.

"Well...if it's not 'little girl', what is it?" His face seemed to have inched closer to mine and I backed away, into the shelf, to further distance myself from him.

"I'm not telling you," I said stubbornly.

Jace scoffed. "Okay then, I guess you'll just have to live with the name I gave you. You're sure you want that, _little girl_?"

I felt my cheeks set fire as my blood boiled, my fingers digging into my palms painfully. "Yes," I bit out.

"Okay," he breathed, truly enjoying himself. "So, little girl, tell me about yourself. You know, I really find it to be a fitting name, now that I think about it. You're little," he pointed out, "and you're a girl. Little girl, little girl...Has a nice ring to it, don't you think? Little girl, little girl, little girl, little girl, little girl––"

"Ugh, stop it!" I exclaimed angrily. "No more! My name is Clar––"

I stopped myself, suddenly petrified. He couldn't know my name. That'd only make the King's job to find me that much easier, and, as far as I knew, Jace was already informed of my absence. If he knew that my name was Clarissa, or even Clary, there wasn't a doubt in my mind that he'd turn me in. I bet that the King was already searching high and low for me.

"Clare?" Jace tested, the word rolling off of his tongue. "Clare. Hm. I like it. Short for something?"

"_No_," I snapped, a little too quick.

How big of an idiot was I? Surely 'Clare' was just as related to 'Clarissa' as 'Clary'. Ugh.

Jace's eyebrow quirked. "Okay..._Clare_, you seem to really like books, so...how about you pick one out and we can read one together," he suggested, his voice, if I wasn't imagining it, sounding almost hopeful.

I nodded slowly. "O-okay."

* * *

**Finally Part 2:**

"Pick out a book, Clare, whatever you want," Jace encouraged me, looking down at me with anticipation. When he saw that I hadn't moved from my spot, he frowned. "Really, you don't need to be shy. I'll be happy to read anything you choose."

I knew I wasn't stupid––I mean yeah, I had my moments, but I could solve complex math equations, knew how to track animals, how to make weapons, I could read maps, and I had a strong vocabulary. I just couldn't write what it was I said and...I couldn't perceive contention, two of the only things in the world, despite how I was raised, I genuinely wished that I could do. And, for some very, very strange reason, even if I was in the sole company of a Vampire, I felt embarrassed.

I spun around quickly and retrieved the book that Jace had already read the title aloud to me: _Of Mice and Men_, I think it was.

"All right then," Jace approved, gently taking it from my hands. "Why don't we..." he paused, looking around the massive library, and gesturing for me to follow him.

I followed two steps behind him to a small, cozy opening. Like in the main room there was a fireplace, as well as some comfy looking couches, and a grand rug. However, whether it was because of the windows behind us that illuminated the space beautifully, or just the comforting atmosphere, I liked it in here much, much better.

Jace sat down on the far end of a green, velvet couch, and, very hesitantly, I sat down next to him, sure to leave a good inch or so between us.

I put aside my festering feelings, intently looking down at the tiny novel in the Vampire's hands. Jace leaned back, opening to the first page and clearing his throat, angling the book so that I could see. "A few miles south of Soledad, the Salinas River drops in close to the hillside bank and runs deep and green," he read, his voice soft and smooth and oddly comforting.

My initial goal was to learn how to read in one sitting, hoping to somehow be able to just suddenly understand. But, of course, that wasn't the case at all. The words were crisp, but the words on paper were impossible to decipher.

How did _that _sound like _that_?

_A few miles south. A few miles south. A few miles south._

_A few miles south of Soledad._

"The water is warm too, for it has slipped twinkling over the yellow sands in the sunlight before reaching the narrow pool," Jace continued effortlessly, and, if not for how interested I was, I would've been even angrier at him; yet another thing he could do perfectly that I just so happened not to be able to do myself.

Jace had a wonderful voice for telling stories, I observed as an hour of listening to him went by. I found myself completely forgetting the fact that he was a monster, relaxing ever so slowly, getting sucked into the mesmerizing tale. The sounds of the letters I knew were gradually becoming more familiar and recognizable, helping me put two and two together, on a mission to solve an endless and arduous puzzle.

Jace would pause every now and then, just to make sure that I was still awake, and, when he saw that I looked just as intrigued as I had the last time, he'd keep going.

I noticed that we were getting to the last few pages, for this was one of the smallest books he seemed to own, and was eagerly awaiting the conclusion. But suddenly Jace stopped mid sentence and held the book out to me. "Do you want to finish it up?"

I shook my head quickly, "No. No. That's fine. I'd prefer it if you would..."

"Are you sure, Clare?" he asked.

"Yes, I'm positive."

"Okay," he sighed. "If you insist."

I slowly let out the breath I had been holding and laid back in my spot, letting my lids grow heavy as soon as I heard him say, "The end."

* * *

**I combined _Finally _with _Finally Part 2 _finally––ha, see what I did there? So this story only has 6 chapters...Again. **

**Sorry for the shortness, like I said before, but what can a girl in high school that plays basketball do?**

**Adios! But before you do, please REVIEW!**

**Until next time, peace(:**


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